What's this Here? A Post!

Oh, blog.

How I’ve longed, of late, to be with you and to input sweet words onto your template…
I’ve been away a few weeks – but you were always in my thoughts. Let’s make tonight… special.

OK – I’ve been away awhile. And work is to blame. Evil work, which has kept me ridiculously busy (to near intern levels again) over the past 8 weeks. 8 straight weeks of heavy call. 8 straight weeks without a weekend off. 8 straight weeks without 2 days off in a row. 8 straight weeks. (It’s kind of like the movie “9 and a half weeks” – only sub me in for Mickey Rourke and replace the constant soft porn with frequent call.)

The problem with this blog is that once I stay away for a bit – that is - once I take too much time between posts, I tend to feel like I can only make it right by churning out the sweetest post ever. Its like I need to sit down, in my chair, back straight, focused hard, and write a mother-lovin’ showstopper of a don’t-call-it-a-comeback-I’ve-been-here-for-YEARS type of post. I’m talking about a post that is long and deep; with insight and wit! A tight and easily readable post, but filled with UTTERLY clever subtext – a post that will knock you off your feet, make you laugh, make you cry, make you so happy to be alive that you want to run outside and spread your arms as you look skyward, even while its pouring rain….

And therein lies the problem. That kind of post is tough to write. Damn tough, in fact. But at least I’m posting something. It’s a start.

I’ve been reading a lot of sports guy lately. And I’ve really come to enjoy his columns. There are far better writers in the world, but I’ve rarely seen someone so gifted at bringing readers into his own little highly-nuanced world, setting up some unique ground rules, and then delivering the goods over and over in that specific framework. Despite all his pro-Boston crap – he’s a damn fine read. The whole thing reminds me of conversations I had with Iwan back in college about all kinds of sports and pop culture connection references. I’m enjoying his intern selection contest. Read up, if you get the chance. (In particular, his “More Cowbell” has been awesome as of late. And since I actually caught the last two hours of the Master’s on Sunday, I was rolling at all his Jim Nantz references. Gold!)

Other than work, there hasn’t been too much to speak of as late. Last night was my final night of call in residency that would require me to walk down to the ER and admit somebody. That is, I have a full ICU month left, complete with annoying every fourth night (in medical speak known as “Q-four”) call, but being in the ICU doesn’t require me to admit anybody. They simply get sent to me and then I take care of ‘em. I never have to leave the unit.

As a reward for my last night of “ER-based” call, and because Gwendolyn is out of town in Miami at a conference this week, I took myself out to a fine sushi dinner tonight at good old Shiro’s and had a feast. What a meal. As I walked in, got seated, and started to look at the menu, one of the head chefs behind the counter (named Agi) asked me to put the menu down.

“I take care of you tonight,” he said with a smile and a bow, indicating that he would decide and prepare everything I would eat based on the freshest fish, his preferences, and all that.

Fine with me. What followed was one of the best sushi meals I’ve ever had. An unbelievable array of all kinds of fish, some of which I’ve never had before. There was a special flounder fin (from the Atlantic), a fried shrimp head (not for the faint of heart), seared salmon, and of course his famous Uni. (And Agi’s uni is the best). Couple the fish with a huge Kirin and I was having myself a good old time. Great dinner. Cost was 58 bucks (plus a 20 dollar tip), but I would easily have payed 100 bucks for such a meal. (Um, why am I in massive credit debt again?)

I’m going to miss sushi over in Europe. I hear that over there it’s hard to find, of lesser quality, and super expensive. On the upside, I’m really looking forward to expanding my schnitzel and wurst palate.

Speaking of Germany, I’ve been running the old “Learn German in your Car!” CD’s occasionally on the way to work. That language rocks. And whenever I have trouble pronouncing a word the right way, I pretend I’m one of the villains from Indiana Jones and start yelling it. What a blast! Only it’s going to be real hard in simple social settings for me to say simply “Nein”, rather than constantly screaming it with fascist zeal.

And with that thought, I officially dub this blog “back in action.”

You may all run out into the rain now…